1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tanks and fighting vehicles which utilize protection systems which guard against large caliber armor piercing weapons, for example, chemical weapons and high impact kinetic energy weapons.
2. Related Information
The success of future ground battles will rely heavily on tanks and armored vehicles more than ever because there have been significant improvements in anti-tank guns, missiles, and ammunition. These anti-tank weapons have great speed and accuracy which permits a user to make a first round kill from a long distance. Consequently, tanks and armored vehicles are vulnerable to attack and, therefore, it is critical to guard against such anti-tank weapons.
There are a large variety of lethal weapons capable of use against tanks and other fighting vehicles (including personnel carriers) which have been, and are being, developed. Such weapons include anti-tank missiles which destroy tanks with a chemical piercing jet. These chemical piercing jets may be fired from helicopters (from a long distance), and deployed from a well hidden position such as by foot soldiers or ground positioned vehicles. Other weapons include anti-tank and armor piercing guns which utilize high density piercing rods and high kinetic energy ammunition. These weapons penetrate a tank or fighting vehicle thus killing the crew and destroying the vehicle interior. These weapons are characterized in that they utilize high speed and high impact energy.
Unlike in the past, the psychological shock on an enemy does not obtain when they are presented with a tank or large fighting vehicle because the enemy typically has access to anti-tank weaponry and, therefore, the enemy's fighting will is not diminished simply by employing a tank or the like.
Armor piercing weapons have been improved recently by utilizing high density metal alloys, for example, depleted uranium and tungsten. These materials are extremely dense and enhance the ability of these weapons to pierce thick armored targets.
Further, Tandem Warheads (warheads capable of producing multiple chemical piercing jets) are in use which are able to penetrate the so-called reactive armor (i.e., the outside wall) of a fighting vehicle with a first chemical piercing jet and an inner wall of the fighting vehicle with another chemical piercing jet.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to overcome the effectiveness of armor piercing weapons in order to ensure the safety of the crews of armor vehicles, thereby minimizing casualties in military operations throughout the world.